Wenger set to agree new three-year contract this week

Arsene Wenger could put pen to paper on a new three-year contract by the end of the week with Arsenal’s majority shareholder Stan Kroenke jetting in to London from his home in Colorado to finalise talks.

Wenger has been linked with a return to France to managerParis Saint Germain, who have made no attempts at hiding theirdesire to have the 64-year-old in charge in the future despitemanager Laurent Blanc currently enjoying a top of Ligue 1billingsince joining in the summer.

The Gunners’ manager has keptsupporters on edge this season with his current contract set toexpire at the end of the season, with some fearing that he istargeting a Premier League title-winning swansong before leavingthe club after a near-18 year spell with the club.

However, recentreports suggest that an agreement could be imminent, with Wengerhimself confirming on Friday that there comes a time when he willhave to make a decision regarding his future.

“There is always apoint where you have to decide, of course,” Wenger said on the eveof the 2-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday.

“There is a point whereyou have to decide and there is a point where you have to make yourdecision public.” When pushed further for an answer on his currentsituation, Wenger replied: “You can take of that sentence the wayyou want it.”

The Daily Mail is claiming that Kroenke has alreadyheld talks with chief executive over offering Wenger a new deal,and he will be a presence at the next board meeting later this weekwhere the club’s January transfer plans will also be discussed.

Arsenal are yet to make a move in the transfer window, althoughthey have been heavily linked with a move for either Julian Draxleror Mirko Vucinic. Wenger has reiterated that he would like to addanother striker to ease the workload on Olivier Giroud, but thatthe right signing rarely becomes available in the January windowand he is likely to remain inactive this month.

That could changethough depending on the outcome of the board meeting, as Kroenkecould choose to free-up a significant proportion of the transferbudget to land another big name signing, following the £42.5macquisition of Mesut Özil in September.